I promise
by mockingjaybrandybuck
Summary: He made a promise and he meant to keep it. But at what cost? Ned Stark and Howland Reed reflect on the impact of the famous Tower of Joy scene. Part of the Reviews Lounge, Too: Green Room Challenge


This scene serves as an extension of the conversation between Howland Reed and Ned Stark in Chapter 4 of my multi-chapter fic called Gentle Strength. And also my own perspective on the impact of the Tower of Joy.

This particular one-shot was inspired by the Moon Children Philosophy Challenge for the Reviews Lounge, Too: Green Room, which requires the incorporation of a question, in this case, "Doing the right thing, does it make everyone happy?"

* * *

 **I Promise**

 _Promise me, Ned_

This couldn't really be happening. Not now, not to his own family. His own little sister.

"Lya, Lya, you must hang on. Please Lya, I can't bear to lose you too." He clutched her bloody hand in his, with tears streaming down his normally stoic face. But her face remained still.

"Eddard." Her tone was sweet, calm, but insistent. "Eddard, I need to know you will keep your word. Promise me." Her eyes were unblinking, but her voice quivered revealing a mixture of fear and the draining of energy from her body.

Eddard Stark's head fell as he pondered the statement. Statement, not a question. Of course he would keep his word. He always did. And he couldn't possibly let his only sister down in her last moments of life. He just wished they weren't her last moments. Scanning her bed of blood, he shuddered, grief stricken at how much his dear sister had been through.

Looking up at her face, he soaked in the image of her brown curls, her beautiful face and her lips which trembled. Gone was the fire in her eyes that had become trademark of Lyanna. Now he just saw fear and sadness. He whispered sadly,"I promise, Lya. All that you request will be done. I will never speak a word of it to anyone outside this tower."

She nodded, looking relieved, peaceful even. And tightened her grip around her brother's hand. But quickly, too quickly, he could see the color draining from her face. With one last breath she whispered, "Ned...I'm so sorry." And she was gone. The she-wolf was no more.

Eddard bowed his head to lay it on her bed, not letting go of the grip on her hands. They were now turning cold. "Oh Lya…why?"

After some time, his friend, Howland Reed calmly unfolded his grip on her hands and placed them both peacefully at her stomach. Glancing up at her face, he gently closed her eyes, so that it appeared she was only sleeping. He shook his head, wondering how such a wonderful life could have been taken from this world. "Come, my friend, we must go. We must be long gone before Robert hears of this."

Eddard stared off into the distance, allowing his gaze to settle on something lying on a wooden table near the window. "He'll never have her now. She was all he ever wanted. Robert. Rhaegar. They both lost."

"Ned, I'm so sorry. So terribly sorry for your loss." Howland laid a hand on his friend's back. "Your sister...she was one of a kind."

He nodded, gathering enough strength to stand and moved slowly to the item on the table. When he reached it, he could only shake his head. Taking it in his hands, he whispered, "She kept it…"

"What is it?" Howland asked.

Eddard turned around so his friend could see, watching his eyes light up in recognition. "Lyanna always loved blue winter roses."

Howland sighed. "Oh Ned, what are we going to do now?"

Eddard walked over to the bed slowly, not wanting this to be goodbye. He carefully wrapped her hand around the crown of roses. She would have wanted them, wherever she was now. He hoped she'd never realized just how much that crown has cost. Not only her life, but Rhaegar's and thousands of others.

She never asked for this, for any of it. She was just a foolish teenage girl in love. Or maybe, maybe she was just a strong willed wolf who refused to be tamed. And now she was gone.

Turning to his friend he said, "We start by keeping her promise. We take her home to Winterfell, so she can lie in the crypts with Father and Brandon. It's what she wanted. And then…" he gulped, turning his eyes to a bundle of blankets on the other side of the room. "And then we go home. And we never speak of this to anyone, ever again."

* * *

The sound of frogs ribbiting was the only thing breaking the silence as Eddard meditated on the words " _Promise me_ " over and over in his head. The words that had haunted him every day over the past fourteen years.

Howland Reed crouched next to his friend as they sat on the front porch of Greywater Watch. After awhile, he finally felt the need to break his friend's trance.

"You kept your promise, Ned. You kept it true. But I can tell it's taking its toll on you my friend." Howland stood and placed a hand on his friend's back, just like he had so many years ago. "Lya would have appreciated everything you've done for her."

Ned shook his head, wiping a stray tear that had sneaked its way out of his eye. "It's not enough. It will never be enough."

Howland closed his eyes, shaking his head a couple of times in disagreement. He could never get through to Ned about the danger of placing such a heavy burden on himself. "Do you regret it? Keeping this secret, all this time. Even from your lady wife?"

Eddard didn't flinch, stating calmly, "It was the right thing to do, Howland. She was my sister."

Howland frowned. "The right thing. Yes, honorable Ned Stark always does the right thing."

" _Howland_ ," Ned looked up, surprised that his friend would take that kind of tone with him.

Howland's face softened. "I'm sorry my friend. I just wonder... if doing the right thing, if it makes everything right in the end? What I mean to say is, if you do the right thing, then all is well?"

Eddard shook his head. "No, definitely not well.. My wife may never fully forgive me for withholding so much from her. She asked me once, about that night. And I snapped." He bit his lip in frustration. "I didn't mean to, things were just so tense. I was just so nervous that I would let something slip. I told her, 'never ask me again' and left the room." He inhaled deeply, "Howland, it tears me apart to know how much she has suffered on my behalf."

"On Lyanna's behalf, you mean?"

Eddard quickly put his hand up in protest, "Don't."

"I'm not trying to lay blame on a dead girl's body, Ned, but you didn't start this war. You didn't abduct your sister, breaking a marriage proposal with one of the most hot tempered fighters Westeros has ever seen. And you wouldn't choose to lie to your wife without being pressured to. Keeping secrets is not your style."

Edward's voice was weak as he replied, "She was sixteen, Howland. What would have happened if I didn't keep her promise? How could I not?" He couldn't handle the thought of blaming his sister for all that had happened.

Howland sighed, "I know, my friend. I know. I cared for her too." He smiled then, looking away, "The wolf maid who saved my honor." He chuckled to himself. "I suppose I should be ashamed, that I needed a girl to defend me. But watching her in action, well, let's just say I will never forget the looks on those squires faces." Glancing back at his home, he pondered, "I just hope that one day, doing the right thing will bring about some good in the end. And not just pain."

Eddard nodded, "I hope so too."

Walking to the end of his porch, Howland reached around the side to pick something out of the bushes. When he returned to where his friend sat, head in his hands, he tapped him on the shoulder. When Lord Stark raised his head, Howland placed a blue winter rose bud in his hand and stated, "For Lya."

Ned allowed his fingers to close gently around the flower, as if it would allow him to keep his sister just a little longer. He uttered an "ack" sound and when he opened his hand he saw a small amount of blood where the thorn had nicked his skin. But he didn't mind. He'd lost much more than blood to protect his precious sister's secret. And if needed to, he would give his life.

It was worth it. It was all worth it.

* * *

A/N For fandom blind readers, the Ned Stark chapters are referred to as Eddard in the books, as it is his formal name, however, his close friends and family call him Ned. In the scene in the books that this story is based off, Lyanna refers to her brother by both names.

Also, I know people familiar with the canon are probably well acquainted with what was in that bundle of blankets, but as this is an extension of my multi-fic story, it is meant to be left purposefully vague.


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